The Haiku of Basho

Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. He is universally recognised as the greatest master of haiku. His work is internationally renowned, and in his native land, many of his poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites. Basho was introduced to poetry at a young age, and after integrating himself into the intellectual scene of Edo (now Tokyo) he quickly became well known throughout Japan. He originally taught for a living, but later in his s...